Pinro

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of an app that is specifically designed to help retailers and businesses market themselves to college students.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pinro?

I was looking for a development team that could build my app within a certain budget. I also wanted the ability to make changes quickly throughout the project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Pinro did some initial market research to build on what I’d already done. Using their findings, they developed an idea that was more viable and user-friendly.

The team covered the project from the initial concept to the MVP stage. They built a backend, a frontend, and a dashboard, all with supporting APIs. Pinro developed the app for both Android and iOS using the React Native framework.

What is the team composition?

Imram (Co-Founder, Pinro) was our main point of contact, and he managed the whole process for us.

How did you come to work with Pinro?

I found them on Clutch, funnily enough, while looking for software developers that could help me unveil this idea that I had. One of the reasons I picked them was that I wanted a small, niche team that could focus on what I was doing.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent somewhere between £40,000–£60,000 (approximately $45,000–$67,500 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Pinro in October 2018. The official contract ended in April 2019, and we’re still working on a few extra features to improve the product before launch.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We haven’t launched the product yet, so I can’t share any customer feedback.

How did Pinro perform from a project management standpoint?

All of the project management was done using Scrum. Google Sheets and Dropbox were our main project tools, and they used a versioning app to share their work. We communicated primarily via email.

We had daily meetings and catchups until I went back to working full-time. The app became a side project for me, and they were very understanding. They adapted to my schedule and continued to provide changes quickly when I requested them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Pinro put in the time to understand my vision, and this helped them make the best product possible. They take pride in what they produce, and this made me feel like we were all part of the same team.

Also, their flexibility and willingness to take on new requirements was fantastic. They adjusted their work without modifying the price, which I didn’t expect them to do.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

None that I saw. Mistakes were made, and I probably didn’t do enough research before onboarding them. Most of the errors were my fault, not necessarily theirs.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to ensure that you have a solid relationship at the start. Make sure they have a good team in place that understands your key propositions. You want to give them a clear sense of what is and isn’t important.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of Mywapi Ltd. It’s a team communication app that’s tailored to the retail and hospitality sectors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pinro?

Many of the hospitality and retail companies in our region don’t have direct email channels between their employees. We wanted to bridge that gap by providing an application to connect staff and allow them to share messages, pictures, and videos. Management teams can use the platform for more structured communication.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We collaborated to finalize the design elements, then Pinro developed iOS and Android versions of our communication application.

What is the team composition?

I mainly worked with Imran (Co-Founder and CEO, Pinro), but I also interacted with the rest of their team.

How did you come to work with Pinro?

I searched online for the best software engineering providers, and I shortlisted a couple of options. I got in touch with each and met with their teams. Pinro convinced me they were the best candidate based on their extensive skill set and capabilities. In an in-person meeting, they showed examples of their past work, which solidified my decision to choose them as my partner.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was just over $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I worked with Pinro from May­–August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We haven’t started marketing the app yet, but a few companies are interested. Overall, Pinro delivered on all of my expectations, and I had a great time working with them.

How did Pinro perform from a project management standpoint?

They managed the project pretty well, and their communication was spot-on. Through a mix of in-person meetings and email exchanges, Pinro always made sure I was up to date on the project’s status. They quickly addressed all of my questions and concerns.

We broke the development process into stages and set timelines, and their team stayed on schedule throughout the engagement. After each stage, they sent an email requesting my feedback.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated their professionalism in their approach to timekeeping and project management. They always made sure I was aware of any delays or setbacks, letting me know in advance.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Every agency has its weak points, but it’s hard to identify a specific area of weakness for Pinro. They could speed up their services a bit, aiming to deliver before deadlines rather than right on time. Other than that, I have nothing negative to say.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of a babysitting app called Sitster. It helps parents organize babysitting circles with their trusted friends. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pinro?

I hired Pinro to help me develop version two of the app. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app is built for both Android and iOS. A prior vendor made the relatively simple first version. Pinro added several more features and expanded the general functionality. It includes a social media integration lets users add their Facebook friends into the contact section of our app. 

Pinro also improved the Sitster website by adding new pages. 

What is the team composition? 

At first, I worked with Pinro's client-facing marketing resource to negotiate the contract and fees. He wasn’t professional or personable and has since left the company. 

Now, I usually interface with Imran (Co-founder and CEO, Pinro).  He's much more approachable and quickly responds to my e-mails with clear and useful advice. 

One developer named Ash (Full Stack Developer & Lightweight DevOps) has completed most of the technical work for our project. 

How did you come to work with Pinro?

I posted an inquiry about recommended developers in a Facebook group called Parent Tech UK. A member I met through the group suggested contacting Pinro. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–March 2017.  During the first stage, they added new functionalities and launched version two of our app. The following stages took 2-3 additional weeks, and web maintenance took about 10 days. 

Last summer, they performed some additional development. They're currently supporting us on an ad-hoc basis. I can reach out to them whenever I have queries, technical challenges, or user issues. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Since we launched the new app iteration, there's been a notable reduction in the number of issues we see. I used to receive quite a lot of e-mails from users via the automated feedback function.

Lately, we’ve had much fewer reports with faults or bugs, even though our number of users has significantly increased. I credit this success to Pinro's problem-solving abilities and the markedly improved functionality they introduced in the new version. 

How did Pinro perform from a project management standpoint?

I much prefer e-mail to telephone, which seemed to work really well for the Pinro team as well. In the beginning, I mostly communicated with the marketer over the phone. He didn't seem commercially savvy and wasn't clear about what the contract covered. 

After that person left, the founder worked with me directly. Virtually all of our communication was via email, which was much more helpful. He was precise and responsive. We had one face-to-face meeting to go through feedback on the version 2.0's functionality. I also contacted the developer via email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I only worked with two developers, but the quality of their service and responsiveness stood out to me. I genuinely feel like I can trust Pinro to do a great job.

On the technical side, I'm confident that the new functional features they introduce will work correctly. If it has any issues, they'll fix it very quickly. I never had to worry that something hadn't been coded correctly. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Based on my circumstances, their prices feel quite expensive. They're located in London, and many of my friends use offshore developers for similar projects for half the price. I think they should offer a service with a fixed fee or lower cost, but that might not be their business model. Regarding the actual service provision, I can't think of anything they should do differently. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to be entirely clear from the start about what you need so Pinro can give you a sufficient project fee. Make sure everybody is on the same page about the cost and scope of services. I had a slight issue in the beginning. I thought the scope included things that it turned out not to cover.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of Cultural Tours. We’re a specialized tour operator and travel management company. I’m the Managing Director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pinro?

We needed some developers to help us design and develop a new booking records system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

With their help, we initiated a bespoke system to replace our old booking records system. We needed the system to record all the sales we generated and to look after the payments. It was used internally.

What is the team composition? 

I had a project manager as a main point of contact. There was one person specializing in the marketing side of thing, one in the sales side of things, and the others were the technical people. They all got involved in developing our site. 

How did you come to work with Pinro?

All the staff in our office were involved in the selection process. We contacted a few developers. They were recommended to us by an IT professional. After comparing 3 companies, we decided to engage Pinro as the outline provided best suits our needs. We then approached some of their clients to look their past work. We felt they were the right people to do the job for us. 

How much have you invested with them?

$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2016 and the work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The system was developed in 2016 and we started making use of it mid-2016 and have officially used the system in its full capacity for the whole of 2017. 

It’s a small system. We did have some problems with hacking, but we managed to make use of the Microsoft Cloud and hosting. Everything has been working fine for a year and the system is efficient.

How did Pinro perform from a project management standpoint?

They were easy to communicate with and they met the deadlines. We had no problems at all. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

When we first met them, we saw they were a young team. They were quite versatile and try their best to understand our needs. In the end, we work together well. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The project manager should make more effort to understand the trade we’re in. They followed our instructions very well, but it was mostly done according to our needs rather than above what we expect.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Yndica is a retail and advertising platform for young brands. We have physical locations and also use an app to allow people to scan products and buy from them in a fraction of a second. I am the founder and CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pinro?

We needed to define exactly what we wanted our technology to be, what we wanted to have in the app, and in the web app that we were going to have. Our first meetings with them were basically idea-generating meetings. I had a good relationship with Imran [CEO, Pinro] from our second meeting onwards. He’s positive and full of ideas, in the sense that he doesn’t seem to think that anything is impossible.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Two things were required to make our product unique. One of them is our algorithms that allow brands that use our platform to get customers. The second and more challenging thing is our image recognition. We used our Yndica tags, which are similar to a QR code, so we had to find the right technology in order to be able to scan them. We use IBM’s Watson which was at a very early stage at the time. We partnered with an image recognition API from a Barcelona-based company called Catchoom.

I’m now going back to Pinro now to build another version that’s going to be a widget. This proves that I believe in them. It will use a couple of APIs and it’s a long process of scanning a QR code, so you only see it on some web pages once you have the QR code.

What is the team dynamic?

When I first met them, there were 3 people, though now the team is 4 or 5. Their developer gave me confidence because they’re highly critical of anything that you want to build. I think that when somebody is critical, it shows they know what they are building and never build anything that isn’t going to work. That developer is one of the main reasons why I went with them. He works with the CEO in a symbiotic way. One of them is better on the tech side and the other is more managerial.

How did you come to work with Pinro?

It was via a website. I just published a comment saying that I was looking for developers for a certain kind of app. I received around 25 messages back and of those, I interviewed 4 or 5. In the end, I went with Pinro because I thought that they showed a degree of quality and knowledge that was superior to others. I didn’t want something that a ready-made package; I wanted it to be built from scratch.

How much have you invested with them?

They’re not the cheapest option out there. I think we spent approximately £50,000 [$66,700].

What is the status of this engagement?

We did 2 different versions of the app, for which the work took place between March and December of last year. It was 2 months, and then a pause, and then 3 more months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our first test launch was about 7 months ago and it was the biggest test launch we’ve done. It was 28 days where we had a fold displaying 5 different brands. During those 28 days, we made more than £30,000 [$40,100] in revenue. Part of the revenue does come from advertising, so that’s not involved with the app.

We made more than £16,000 [$21,400] in sales for brands out of one location, which actually has a very low footfall. The idea of the app managed to drive people inside the shops, and the traction went really well. We had more 9,000 products scanned which we could see with the API. There were 9,000 scans in a shopping center that usually, on a monthly basis, has about 20,000 people walking through it.

How did Pinro perform from a project management standpoint?

The value that they add is that they’re thinking human beings behind the technology. In terms of project management, they work tirelessly. A couple of times I had to push them to work through the night because we had very little time, which was our fault more than theirs. They’ll do anything to meet the deadline. We know that’s a healthy relationship to have with anyone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I had built prototypes using an app that’s called Prototype.io, which is a website that helps you build apps. What I used to show them were the prototypes, I was able to say to them, “This is what I want the app to do. Can you make some code that does what I want in here?” That was excellent and is what I really like about them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have a challenging relationship with one of the developers. We both respect each other, but we often want to build things in different ways which means get into disagreements. He can be quite vocal about his opinions. That’s one area for improvement: it’s good to let the client know that you care, but in the end, you have to build what the client wants. It’s not a huge problem, and I am going back now to build more with them. They’re people I trust, which is really something that doesn’t come cheap. When you can trust somebody, then the relationship is made so much better with that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

St. Health is a startup that’s been operating for a couple of years. We’re in the health and well-being space in the U.K. We’re based in London.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pinro?

We have a couple of colleagues on our team, but neither of them are developers. One is a marketing engineer that mainly works on larger-scale projects, and one is a registered nurse and understands the clinical elements. I don’t have an IT or health background at all. We needed a mobile app developer.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed an iOS and Android app for us. It’s a digital platform to help patients with long-term conditions manage their care and interact with U.K. health services, doctors, hospitals, and nurses. The first version enables patients to record their own pulse, blood pressure, and blood sugar. They can see how they’re doing and communicate that with health care professionals. We’re also developing a range of self-motivation tools.

The interface allows them to get better support and reduces the demand on health services. We’ve also attached an open-source government document with practitioners in each area. In our first iteration, users can enter their zip code and the app populates local providers and appointment dates. We’ve had some issues with the agency providing that link, so we’re having to work around that.

We’re incorporating patient participation and feedback from workshops and seminars with academic institutions. Pinro uses their tech knowledge to translate that into the app's design and framework.

The app itself is a means to an end, so function is more important than stunning design. It’s free to the public and we’re rolling it out in stages. Once we have it up and running, we’ll use that to market the next stage, where we will take it to providers for them to generate business. We want to scale it to link through it on a fee-bearing basis.

What is the team dynamic?

Imran Khan was the main link, and he had a small team helping with the project. We worked with his team either directly or indirectly, and we met most of them.

How did you come to work with Pinro?

I met them through a mutual professional contact from a couple years back. We chose them because they understood what we were doing. The team’s background gave them some direct experience with clinical conditions, which always helps. They understood our language and grasped what we were doing pretty quickly.

We approached them with a lot of marketing intelligence and information to help them get started, and they challenged us and were flexible. We were looking for that kind of relationship. We liked that they’re a young, vibrant team, with dynamic give and take.

How much have you invested with them?

$35,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June of this year and the work is ongoing. We’re dealing with issues as they come and update every other day. We’re on the third or fourth major update since June.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The app is currently in the iTunes store and Google Play store, and it's third update is soon to launch. We’ve gotten generally good feedback. Testing has gone well.

People have pointed out ways it could improve, such as unclear content or links that took longer to download. We’re trying to incorporate those into future updates.We’ll also have to tweak the family doctor lookup feature. It’s a day-to day-challenge, but Pinro is very agile and responds quickly.

As a new voice in the market, a robust and reliable app helps us showcase our clinical expertise and knowledge of the health care field. We now are building a track record for potential providers who aren’t yet familiar with us. Pinro really understands that goal, and incorporate our expertise into the app while making it as simple to use as possible.

How did Pinro perform from a project management standpoint?

We stick to fairly standard, straightforward project management principles, because this is not a complex project. The discipline and framework needs to be there. It’s all recorded so we have an audit trail. We’re happy with it. It isn’t perfect, but it’s worked very well. They deliver on time and within budget.

We mapped out and agreed on options for the stack, timescales, priorities, and milestones before they started working with us. We meet regularly face-to-face and use Skype, email, and Slack. We iron out issues, and they help us get a better understanding of IT solutions and vice versa. We aim for a common understanding, recognizing opportunities or limits of the approach we want to take.

We’ve had to make a few changes en route, because we realized certain things would add an extra burden or cost. We made those changes by mutual agreement and had a process in place to so they didn’t slow the timeline. We had a slight delay by a couple weeks and nothing more.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I enjoy working with young entrepreneurs like them. They’re very friendly and open and have energy, drive, and the ability to find solutions. They’re very personable.

They know the business far better than I ever will, which is how we want it. They don’t just sit back and listen. They come back and challenge us and generate ideas, which helps us maintain our sharp thinking throughout the project. They do that professionally and respectfully. It’s a dynamic and collaborative relationship.

We’re a small team and don’t have time for lots of meetings and paperwork, so we appreciate their agility and efficiency. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They need to grow, which is good. We want to work with them in the next stages of development. So far, we’ve been very pleased.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

GivTree is a tech company designed to enable charities to raise money in a unique and exponential way through a charitable crowdfunding platform. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pinro?

We were short staffed and had huge projects to build. There were certain applications which were particularly specific and quite technically challenging that we wanted to work on with others, making it the perfect time to contact Pinro and get them to build apps for us. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They tend to help in both the frontend and backend. Pinro built for us a mobile-optimized website. We don’t have an app on mobile. We were integrating with a unique payment system. There were other things they did like real-time donations and other general real-time capabilities.

We also needed general design help and CSS. We took care of the business side while they did the tech side of it, although we did discuss how the tech will impact the business and how business ideas will be reflected in what’s built.

How did you come to work with Pinro?

We found Pinro along with five or six other developers online. Pinro was well-priced, and their technical skills were second to none. They knew what they were doing. Compared to the other agencies we spoke to, they were the best at what they do. They were onshore, so we could go to them and speak to them in person. When we spoke to them, we got along well, and they seemed like good people to work with, so we took it from there.

What is the status of this engagement?

We contracted them twice. The first project was in 2015 and ran for a month. The second project was in 2016 for 2 months. Both projects were under a lot of time pressures. They would be working days, nights, and weekends, which you wouldn’t get at an agency where they would cut off and stop working. With Pinro, they were willing to go the extra mile to get things done.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

We’ve had increased traffic to the site, total users, and number of charities that want to onboard with us, all because Pinro helped build a far better website. Even the capability for charities to have increased functionality within the website, whether that’s building a mailing list for their own users or analytics that charities could access, these were all built in by Pinro. We’ve had some big campaigns after the rebuilding of the site, leading to thousands of more users in our database. The nature of our platform relies on crowds to take part, especially on social media. There’s a lot of social media built into our website, so people advertising using that can grow quite fast.

How did Pinro perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very good. I couldn’t imagine anyone doing much better. They were always willing to work at any time we called them up and always managed it well. Even if we pushed too hard, they would know how to manage the situation. It was all planned. A lot of developers write out the code, but they spend a good amount of time planning the schematics and going into the wireframes. They’ve got their management hats on as well.

What did you most impressive about Pinro?

They are very good at building a close relationship with you, and that translates into the tech they do. With them, you’re not just a client. You’re a friend. You can work closely with them when building stuff, whereas it can be a little bit more distant with other companies.

Are there any areas Pinro could improve?

When they grow as a company, that will help them a lot because they will be able to take on bigger projects.